STPT: Drugs – an illicit economy fuelling Sudan war
Sudan synthetic drug report
A new report by the Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker (STPT) says Sudan’s production capacity for synthetic drugs has expanded dramatically under the 'fog of war'.
“Production capacity for synthetic drugs has expanded dramatically under cover of the ‘fog of war’ in Sudan – a January 2026 seizure in Red Sea State captured nearly half a tonne of drugs, mainly crystal meth”
The report notes a January 2026 seizure in Red Sea State of nearly half a tonne of drugs, mainly crystal meth.
STPT links this growth to the December 2024 collapse of Syria’s state-sponsored Captagon industry after the fall of the Assad regime, arguing that production has redistributed into conflict-affected environments with fragmented authority, weak border controls, and entrenched illicit networks.
The report also frames this shift as part of a broader global expansion of synthetic drug markets, with record levels of supply and demand and the emergence of new synthetic drugs that carry health, security, and environmental harms.
Sudan drug production shift
STPT says Sudan has moved from a peripheral transit corridor to a manufacturing hub since the outbreak of war in April 2023 between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Citing the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy Captagon Seizure Database, the report notes 19 seizure and manufacturing incidents recorded in Sudan between 2015 and 2025, with a sharp acceleration after April 2023.
The report records that three production laboratories in Sudan have been seized—comparable to emerging production centres in Iraq, Kuwait, and Türkiye.
The report documents rapid scaling of capacity from a facility capable of producing 7,200 pills per hour in June 2023 to an industrial-scale laboratory in February 2025 able to manufacture 100,000 pills per hour, with equipment valued at approximately $3 million.
STPT report: Captagon in Sudan
The STPT report says security operations have produced significant interdictions: SAF seized a large Captagon-producing facility when it recaptured Khartoum, and multiple seizures have occurred in Red Sea State, including near Port Sudan.
“Production capacity for synthetic drugs has expanded dramatically under cover of the ‘fog of war’ in Sudan – a January 2026 seizure in Red Sea State captured nearly half a tonne of drugs, mainly crystal meth”
The report says these seizures underscore Sudan's maritime access to Gulf consumer markets and, possibly, to destinations further afield.
The report presents these developments as evidence that Sudan is integrating into a post-Assad Captagon economy relocating toward conflict zones.
Where the article indicates uncertainty—such as how far drugs seized in Red Sea State are ultimately destined—it notes this only as a possibility rather than a confirmed route.
Key Takeaways
- Synthetic drug production has expanded in Sudan under cover of the 'fog of war'.
- January 2026 Red Sea State seizure recovered nearly half a tonne of mainly crystal meth.
- Syria's December 2024 Captagon collapse spurred relocation, integrating Sudan into the broader drug economy.
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